Apparatus for coding and decoding



May W, 1966 s. NYBERG 3,250,020

APPARATUS FKOR CODING AND DECODING Filed Sept. 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mw R0, 1966 s. NYBERG APPRATUS FOR CODING AND DECODING 2 Sheets-Sheet 21 Filed Sept. 18, 1963 /fv VEN me 57i/EE NYBEEG 3,250,020 APPARATUS FOR CODING AND DECODING Sture Nyberg, Zug, Switzerland, assigner to Anstalt Europaische Handelsgesellschaft, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed Sept. 1S, 1963, Ser. No. 309,825 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Sept. 19, 1962, 11,085/ 62 12 Claims. (Cl. 35-3) The present invention broadly has reference toan improved apparatus for coding and decoding information or the like depicted in the form of suitable indicia, such as characters, symbols, numbers, letters or the like.

Although the art of cryptography, more specically, the ciphering and deciphering of information nowadays has tendency of becoming more or less automated, nonetheless there are still always possibilities which present themselves where printed reproduction or other storage of the results can be dispensed with. In this event, relatively simple auxiliary aids are generally employed, whereby the clear text as well as the coded text can be read purely visually, character-for-character, e.g. letter-for-letter, from a suitable chart or table, slide members or similar expedients, and thereafter is transcribed by hand or else dictated.

`On the other hand, coding apparatus are known at the present time which execute displacing movements of letter or other indicia-bearing carriers by means of counting or adding machine-type machanism, and which are provided with printing devices or purely visual readout or output means. Such apparatus, however, are generally only provided with a single alphabet at the side of the letters.

Broadly speaking, the present invention is directed to an improved arrangement for enciphering and deciphering information or the like, manifested in the provision of a visual inputbutput system and utilizes a ixedly positioned or positionable table or chart provided with randomly arranged rows of characters of an indicia system which are disposed in parallel lines. Additionally, according to one important aspect of the invention there is provided a displaceable slide member containing at least one row of orderly or alphabetically arranged indicia and which is capable of moving vertically relative to the aforesaid rows of characters. One of the primary features of the present invention resides in the fact that the movable slide member is operatively coupled to a coding device in such a manner that, for each of the possible positions or conditions of the output member of the coding device, the slide member automatically adjusts or regulates itself to cooperate with a given row of indicia. Naturally, and as also taught herein, it would be possible to displace the chart member with respect to the slide member.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention Vto provide an improved apparatus for coding and decoding significant information or otherwise in a quick and easy manner, while tending to eliminate or minimize the possibility of error.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved coding and decoding apparatus which is highly reliable in operation, easy to manipulate and relatively economical to manufacture.

Still another important object of the present invention is the provision of an improved coding and decoding apparatus provided with a slide member which cooperates with a chart, table or the like having rows of indicia or markings thereon, and means for imparting relative movement between said chart and slide member such that said slide member and a selected row of indicia appearing on said chart come into operable coding or decoding relationship with one another.

United States Patent O These and still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific example, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In the drawings wherein like reference numerals generally denote similar elements:

FIGURE l illustrates a practical embodiment of an arrangement for coding and decoding which is operably coupled with a coding mechanism or device;

FIGURE la is a fragmentary view of a modified chart having associated therewith a cooperating slide member;

FIGURE 1b is a fragmentary view of still a further modified chart;

FIGURE 2 illustrates a read-in and read-out chart having associated therewith a variant form of slide member;

FIGURES 3 and 4 schematically illustrate different possible forms of charts; and

FIGURE 5 schematically illustrates a variant construction of the arrangement according to the invention.

Describing now in detail the drawings, and with particular attention directed to FIGURE 1, it should be appreciated that reference numeral 1 generally denotes an indicia carrier, which in the illustrated embodiment is shown in the form of a sheet-like alphabet table or chart. This alphabet table or chart 1 is provided at its front face 1a with n number of superimposed, horizontally extending rows of randomly arranged indicia or characters. It will be seen that such indicia or characters have been shown, by way of example land not limitation, to be letters of the alphabet. The value n of the chart 1 advantageously corresponds to an integral multiple of m, wherein m represents the number of conditions or positions of the output member 2, here depicted as a rotatable shaft constructed as an entraining means, of the coding mechanism or device 3. The coding mechanism 3 may be of the type possessing a keyboard or the like provided with a number of keys which can be selectively actuated, each such key imparting a .predetermined condition, in this case a predetermined langular rot-ation or position to the output member 2. Coding mechanism suitable for the purposes of the presen-t invention are well known to the art, and for such reason need not be more fully explained herein, particularly since reference may be made to United States Patent 2,851,794 disclosing a coding mechanism suitable for use with the invention,

The output member 2 of the coding mechanism or device 3 transmits its selected condition or position, as determined by its angle of rotation, through the agency of an arm or lever 4 to a cord pulley 5. The circumference of this cord pulley 5 is designed such that a slide member 16, here in the form of a linear slide arm ymernber which is movable up and down along a guide or slide rail 9 through the intermediary of the pulley cord 5a and the guide rollers 7, 8, comes to rest beneath one of the rows l n of the chart 1 for each of the m possible conditions or positions of the output member 2. The slide member 16 is shown formed as an arm which carries thereon an orderly arranged row of characters or markings, in this case an alphabetically arranged row of letters, whereby each such letter is always associated with one marking on the front face 1a of the chart 1, in this case a letter of the associated superimposed row of randomly arranged readable letters.

In order to encipher, the apparat-us is advantageously actuated in such a manner that for each letter of the text the slide member 6 is'caused to assu-me one of its possible n positions. Thereafter, the relevant letter of the clear text is located on the slide member 16, and the letter lying directly opposite thereto on the front face 1a of the chart 1 then corresponds to the wanted letter for the secret or ciphered text. Naturally, for deciphering the reverse operation is undertaken in that, the letter of the ciphered or coded text is located along the relevant row of the chart 1 and the vassociated letter located therelbeneath on the slide member 16 then corresponds to the clear text letter.

For purposes of edication an example of a possible manner of coding and decoding a text will now bel given in conjunction with the embodiment of FIGURE 1. In order to simplify matters it will be assumed that in the illustrated example only row num-ber 6 is used for coding and decoding, and in this case the text Awill be the word please for example. member 16 located in the position shown in FIGURE l each letter of the text for the Word please is located lalong the slide member 16 and the corresponding, oppositely situated coded letter is read-off row number 6. Thus, it will be seen that for the first letter p the corresponding coded letter is c 1, for the next text letter l the coded letter is k, and so forth. The coded text for the word please is then qkzciz. In order to decode the coded text first the letter q is located along the row 6 and the corresponding decoded letter p is then found on the slide member 6. The remaining letters o-f such text are then processed in like manner.

It will be appreciated, however, that when decoding the coded text qkzcz the task becomes somewhat more diicult because it is necessary to scan the unorderly arranged row 6 for the relevant letter of the coded text. In order to simplify such decoding operation, i-t is possible to apply to the rear side or face of the chart 1 a table with a like number of l n rows of letters. In this instance, however, the letters of each row are differently arranged, in what may be conveniently considered a complementary arrangement to the corresponding row at the front side of the aforesaid chart 1. In this manner, it is possible to locate both the letters of the coded text and decoded text along the slide member .6 which is orderly arranged, and then'nd the relevant letter on the corresponding row of the chart.

Such an arrangement is depicted in FIGURE la which shows the rear face 1b of the chart 1. To further simplify matters the slide member 16 of FIGURE l may be provided at its rear side with a second spaced slide arm providing a similar slide member 16 which is then associated with the rear face 1b of said chart, thereby rendering it unnecessary to turn the chart over for decoding. For convenience in illustration complementary row 6 of the rear face 1b of chart 1 has only applied thereto those complementary letters necessary to decode the aforementioned coded text qkzcz'z- .It will thus be appreciated that the letters of this coded text can, in this case, again be read directly from the orderly arranged letters on the slide member 16' and the corresponding decoded letters from the associated row 6 of the rear face 1b. Naturally, it would be possible to dispense with the slide member 16 for the rear face 1b of the chart, and to merely turn the chart 1 and use the same slide member 16 which was employed for coding the text.

A further possibility exists in that, instead of placing the complementary rows for coding and decoding on opposite faces 1a and 1b of the chart 1, as was described in conjunction with FIGURES l and la, it would be of course possible to place both complementary rows of alphabetic pairs on the same side of the chart 1. Such an arrangement is shown inFIGURE lb. By referring to this gure it will be appreciated that, the number of rows on the chart 1 in this case corresponds to 211, i.e.

two rows of alphabetic pairs for each basic division of Accordingly, with the slide.

4 the chart, such that the previous row 6i of FIGURE 1 now embodies a row 6 for coding and a row 6" for decoding located beneath row 6. Of course, rows 6' and 6" could be reversed. By virtue of this arrangement it is no longer necessary to turn the chart or to provide a further slide member 16. These complementary rows 6 and 6, whether such be arranged above one another as in FIG- URE lb, or on opposite faces of the chart 1 as in FIG- URES l and la, provide what has been conveniently termed herein complementary rows of alphabetic pairs.

In order to further reduce the possibility of error, a slide member 16" can be provided with a reading or viewing window 10, as shown in the embodiment of FIGURE 2. In this case, the driving or control arrangement is operatively connected with the slide member 16" such that the latter can assume two basic positions which differ from one anotherby one-half of a basic division of the chart 1', which then advantageously would also have complementary rows at the same side thereof, as previously shown in FIGURE lb. Means for permitting displacement of the slide member 16" so that the window 10 will overlie one of the complementary rows of the alphabetic pairs is shown in this embodiment, by way of example, as incorporating a plug or pin 15 which is attached to the pulley cord Sa. and can be selectively engaged with suitably positioned holes or openings C and D, respectively, provided at the slide member 16". Thus, for example, with the chart 1 designed as in FIGURE lb, the plug 15 is inserted in hole C for coding and in th'e lower hole D for decoding. Naturally, other equivalent structure could be employed for selectively positioning the slide member 16" with respect to the associated chart 1 through one-half a basic division, as just described. Of course, the arrangement of FIGURE 2 could also be employed with a chart designed as in FIGURES l and 1b.

Quite obviously, the information carrier, shown in the preceding embodiments in the form of a sheet or platelike table, could partake other configurations. In FIG- URE 3 the chart 1 is depicted as a'scroll having applied thereto numerous suitable rows of indicia. The chart 1" can be advanced from a pay-oft spool or roller 17 by means of a suitable advancing roller- 18 such that the relevant portion of the chart 1 exhibiting the desired group of rows appears between the aforesaid rollers 17 and 18. This chart 1 can have the letters of the rows applied thereto as in any of the previous embodiments. In FIGURE 4 the chart 1" is configured as an endless band which travels about the spaced rollers 19 and 20, similar to an endless transport or transmission band. Moreover, instead of displacing the slide member as in the foregoing examples, it would also be conceivable to displace the aforementioned charts relative to the slide member.

In FIGURE 5 there is illustrated a further variant of the invention. In this embodiment, the information carrier or chart 11 is rolled into the form of a cylinder, whereas the slide member 2.6 here possesses the form of a second external cylinder provided with a viewing window 10. In an equivalent manner to what has previously been described, the cylindrical chart 11 is driven, while the external read-out slide member cylinder 26 is mounted so as to be capable of again assuming two basic positions which differ from one another by one-half a division of the chart 11, so as to be able to code or decode depending upon the relative position of the slide member 26 with respect to the inner cylindrical chart 11. Also in this case, such inner cylindrical chart 11 is provided for each division of the aforesaid chart with one pair of complementary rows of alphabetic pairs.

In describing the invention such wasl conveniently undertaken in conjunction with letters of an alphabet; yet, quite obviously the markings or characters could be of a different nature, for example numbers. Consequently, the

term alphabetic pairs as employed herein and in the api pended claims is not to be construed in a strict sense, rather is intended to encompass any complementary arrangement of indicia or characters, whether such be letters, numbers or otherwise.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously `embodied and practised within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding comprising a chart member having a first series of substantially parallel rows of randomly arranged characters of a system of indicia and a second series of the same number of substantially parallel rows of said characters of the system of indicia, each of said rows of the second series having said characters arranged therein complementary to the random arrangement of the characters in a respective one of the rows in said first series, each of said rows of the second series further being disposed on said chart member in a predetermined positional relationship to t-he corresponding row of said rst series, slide means mounted for relative movement with respect to said chart member and having at least one row of orderly arranged characters of the system of indicia thereon disposed for cooperation with the characters of any desired row of said rst and second series during coding and decoding, respectively, and means for imparting relative movement between said chart member and said slide means for selectively placing said slide means into cooperable relation with a predetermined sequence of said rows of the first series during coding and with the same sequence of the corresponding rows of said second series during decoding.

2. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 1; wherein said relative movement .imparting means includes a coding mechanism provided with an output member capable 4of assuming a number of different output conditions, with each said different output condition effecting relative movement between said slide means and said chart member such that said slide means is automatically brought into cooperative relation -with a predetermined row of characters of said first series and said second series on said chart member during coding and decoding, respectively.

3. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 2; wherein said slide means is provided with a slide arm operatively `coupled to said relative movement imparting means `for displacement of said slide arm substantially at right angles to said rows of characters on said chart member.

4. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 3; wherein said slide arm is provided with a view-ing `window for exposing the cooperable row of characters on said chart member.

5. Visual input-output device -for coding and decoding according to claim 3; wherein said slide means is mounted for relative movement with respect to the chart member by means of a guide rail along which said slide arm travels, said relative movement imparting means including a pulley cord operatively connected with said slide arm for displacement thereof.

6. Visual input-output device for coding and decording according to claim 1; Iwherein said chart member is in the form of a fiat sheet having said first series of rows `of characters on one face thereof and said second series of rows of characters on the opposite face thereof.

7. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 6; wherein said slide means is provided with a pair of slide arms, one of which cooperates with said one face of said chart member and the other with said other face thereof, said slide means being operatively coupled to said relative movement imparting means for displacement of said pair of slide arms substantially at right angles to said rows of characters at lboth faces of said chart member.

8. Visual input-output device for `coding and decoding according to claim 2, further including means cooperating with said chart member for bringing a selective group of said first and second series of rows of characters within the operating range of said slide means.

9. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 8, further including means mounting said chart member in the configuration of a scroll.

10. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim wherein said chart member is in the form of an endless band.

11. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 1; wherein said chart mem-ber is of cylindrical configuration.

12. Visual input-output device for coding and decoding according to claim 2; wherein said first and second series of rows of characters are on one surface of said chart member with each row of said second series being offset a predetermined distance from the -corresponding row of said first series, and further including means interposed between said output member of the coding mechanism and said slide means to vary the relative positions thereof for coding and decoding, respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,954,033 4/1934 Adams 120-33 2,050,919 8/1936 Brauer 35-3 2,219,255 10/1940 Doerr 120-34 2,803,217 8/1957 Hudak 1Z0-32 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. i

LAWRENCE CHARLES, EUGENE R. CAPOZIO,

Examiners. 

1. VISUAL INPUT-OUTPUT DEVICE FOR CODING AND DECODING COMPRISING A CHART MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SERIES OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS OF RANDOMLY ARRANGED CHARACTERS OF A SYSTEM OF INDICIA AND A SECOND SERIES OF THE SAME NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS OF SAID CHARACTERS OF THE SYSTEM OF INDICIA, EACH OF SAID ROWS OF THE SECOND SERIES HAVING SAID CHARACTERS ARRANGED THEREIN COMPLEMENTARY TO THE RANDOM ARRANGEMENT OF THE CHARACTERS IN A RESPECTIVE ONE OF THE ROWS IN SAID FIRST SERIES, EACH OF SAID ROWS OF THE SECOND SERIES FURTHER BEING DISPOSED ON SAID CHART MEMBER IN PREDETERMINED POSITIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE CORRESPONDING ROW OF SAID FIRST SERIES, SLIDE MEANS MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHART MEMBER AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE ROW OF ORDERLY ARRANGED CHARACTERS OF THE SYSTEM OF INDICIA THEREON DISPOSED FOR COOPERATION WITH THE CHARACTERS OF ANY DESIRED ROW OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SERIES DURING CODING AND DECODING, RESPECTIVELY, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID CHART MEMBER AND SAID SLIDE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PLACING SAID SLIDE MEANS INTO CO- 